WJPA Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres avoided playoff elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Brewers in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking homer, and Game 2 starter Michael King pitched the final two innings on one day of rest. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado drove in runs for the Padres, who trimmed Milwaukee’s series lead to 2-1 with a tense, back-and-forth victory over the MLB-best Brewers. San Diego’s bullpen didn’t have star closer Mason Miller, who went on the paternity list about 45 minutes before the first pitch, so King stepped up and coolly shut down the Brewers to seal it.

ATLANTA (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven brilliant innings, Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series. Yamamoto dominated the much-anticipated matchup with Atlanta ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series, permitted only four hits with one walk while improving to 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason outings, including 10 starts. Freddie Freeman also homered against his former team for the Dodgers, who can win the best-of-five series Wednesday night in Atlanta.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Sam McDowell, a six-time All-Star and former major league pitcher, has died. He was 84. Known for leading the American League in strikeouts four times, McDowell played 15 seasons, including 11 with Cleveland. He was a key figure in baseball, with a 141-134 record and 2,453 strikeouts. His life inspired the Sam Malone character on the sitcom “Cheers.” After battling addiction, McDowell became a counselor for athletes. He quit drinking in 1980 and earned a degree in sports psychology. He was recognized with the B.A.T Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 for his contributions to recovery support.